The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1887-09-17
WARTIME MAKESHIFTS.
Some of tho Expodionts for Sup
plying Natures Wants.
Getting Food and Clothing, During tho
War, la southern statss-Hpw Me-
cossity, the Mother Of Inyon-
tion, Piled Her wits.

One Of the most curious features OF
the late war IN the South was the va
ricty of cxpcdicnts TO which the people
rcsortcd to supply those wants which
became pressing. Not until cOmmuni-
cation with "the North" had been cut
on did the people recogniz; the fact,
aud fully realize it. that the South had
been actually dependent upon the
Northern manufactures for hundreds
Of articles in daily usee7 Factories were
few, and these In the main made only
the commOncr kinds of tobacco aud
cotton cloths. Every arlsclo found in
n store in 1861 was sure tusb.- N North
crn manufacture, aud with that always
higher appreciation of other peoples
handiwork Olx talents. was held in
higher esteem than any thing
hpmc-madc Each Christmas. in
those days, shoes were given -lAG me-
grocs A common question was "Who
made dem shoesP" "Dey wasn't
made" would be the reply; 'dcy
come outcn de store" BY the close Of
1861 homemade goods came into use,
mainly from pure necessity. The lat
ter being the mother of invention, IL
speedily followed that in North Caro-
lima inventors and clever inventions
became quickly numerous and varied.
Salt, shoes. clothing and hats were
primo necessities. The demand for
salt was very great There were two
sorccs of supply--the sea and the salt
works in Virginia. But these could
do littlo toward supplying the demand
at first, though later the output was
larger A sack of salt which mt first
sold for two dollars, rose TO thirty dol
lars in gold, and even then ii was
privilege to obtain it.. Many families
in the interior made salt from the earth
in their smokchousas. This earth had
gathered. in the course of years, much
salt from the meats which were smoked
In such house, In those days. IL was
dug up and lcachcd in n rude ash hop
per, just rs ashes are lcachcd for lyc.
A brine, with more or less $ rcngth,
was obtained. This was concentrated
10y boiling ana then allowed 10 crystal
iZ'. II was not the best article in the
world. but il was mdcniably salt,
which was the one thing nccdful. The
Government later took charge of the
salt works and employed specially
trained men in large numbers in the
manufacture of that necessity. The
price was regulated by military rules.
and il became more abundant and of
far better quality
For clothing. homcSpun was the
only wear In those days rude spin
ning-whccls and hanh-looms of antique
pattern were common. Those who had
rclinqui-hcd the use of these. or who
had used them only in tho manufacture
of servants clothing, speedily found
it necessary to use thcm themselves.
Others were made. with some improve
mcnls in design. and there's ~rlu an
eager search for dycing matMal
These were rs II rule vegetable. In
digo, barks of various kinds, etc,
were largely used Tho country
weaver who made II &pod article of
brown jeans, with cotton .NSrp and
wool "iilling,' was in great. Ncmand.
Many of the wcalthicst aud most cult
urcd women made and wore the
coarscst of homc-spun cloths. For un-
dcrwcar rough factory cotton or cot
ton mado on the hand looms was the
best thing TO he obtained
II was said by very old people that
timo had been turned back three
quarters of n century, aud that pco-
pie in the main rcsortcd to as primi-
tive methods of living and preparing
clothing. ctc.. rs were use in the days
of the revolution of 1916. Leather
was in great demand. and since "Hhcrr
is nothing like leather" IL was found
that il admitted of no substitute.
Many farmers had tan-lroughs made
out Of large logs or of planks,
aud large enough to hold dozen
hides. In these they rudcly tanned
witt, oak bark the skins of their own
and their ncighhors' cattle for uppcr
leather The sole leather rs rule,
was made ut tho regular t;nucrics.
81 very urgent and constant was the
demand for shoes that frequently the
hides were not allowed to remain in the
troughS long enough To become tanned
thoroughly. hut had to be takcn out
aud used while partly raw. They
were utilized whilo of n brown or rus
set color. aud were not black. At.
tcmpts at polishing such leather were
infrcqucnt. The demand for sole
leather ovcrtaNcd the capacity of the
tmncrics aud the farm-housos were
ransacked for any articles in which
leather was used. Old trunks were
cut up, aud particularly the ample
skirts. then in use. Of saddles. II the
owner of such saddle did not speed
lily utilize its heavy flaps for his own
use some one else would steal them.
Shocless men could not resist the
temptation of such saddle. and in
stances were frequent where the owner,
having left his horse saddlcd and tied
TO post, returned TO find his saddle
innocent of skirts. Such thefts oc-
Cured even outside of churches. The
nap of tho saddle wont ont of use. and